Mining machine main frame structure



June 28, 1955 R. c. LUNDQUIST ETAL 2,711,9a7

MINING MACHINE MAIN FRAME STRUCTURE 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 13, 1955 INVENTORS CH ESTER 'E ANDERSHOCK RlCHARD C- LUNDQU IST i7 Z ATTORNEY June 28, 1955 R. c. LUNDQUIST ET AL 2,711,907

MINING MACHINE MAIN FRAME STRUCTURE Filed Aug. 13, 1953 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 m INVENTORS CHESTER E. ANDERSHOCK BYRICHARD c. LUNDQUIST M 4 mww ATTO RN EY 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 June 1955 R. c. LUNDQUIST ETAL MINING MACHINE MAIN FRAME STRUCTURE Filed Aug. 13, 1953 ST RICHARD C LUNDQUI June 28, 1955 R. c. LUNDQUIST ETAL 2,711,907

MINING MACHINE MAIN FRAME STRUCTURE 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Aug. 15, 1953 INVENTORS CHESTER E. ANDERSHOCK RICHARD u o UIST BY 7 c L N Q ATTORNEY Ev ////i Unite States P O a MIWENG MACHENE MAHN FRAME STRUCTURE t ichard C. Lundguist and tlhester E. Andershock, Chicage, ilL, assignors to Goodman Manufacturing Company, Qhicago, ill, a corporation of iliiuois Application August 13, 1953, Serial No. 374,002

8 (Ilaims. (Cl. 220-406) coal or like material from a solid mine face without shootit has been the usual practice to support mining machines, and particularly those of the type which continuously mine coal and like material from a solid mine face, on continuous traction tread devices in order to provide adequate support for the relatively long and heavy machine on the ground and take the extreme stresses encountered during mining, and to maintain the machine to the minimum vertical dimensions requisite for operation in places of low head room, without sacrificing stability both during mining and transportation of the machine about the mine.

Due to the length of such machines which, besides cutting and dislodging the coal from the solid also collect the coal and transport it to a discharge point beyond the rear of the machine, the main frame for the machine has of necessity been unduly bulky and heavy and has been difficult to accurately assemble, and requires heavy side plates extending for the length of the continuous traction devices along the base plate of the machine, with outwardly spaced side plates supported thereon, for supporting the guide and direction changing means for the continuous traction tread devices.

Our invention has as a principal object to remedy these difiiculties by providing a simplified frame structure for mining machines and particularly those machines of a continuous mining type, which eliminates the necessity of the heavy side plates and frame structure extending along on opposite sides of the main frame for supporting the base plate of the machine on opposite sides of the bogie frames for the continuous traction tread devices.

Another object of our invention is to provide'a simple and improved form of main frame particularly adapted for continuous mining machines, in which the base plate of the machine has interengagement with the guide or bogie frames for the continuous traction tread devices and is supported directly thereon in vertically spaced relation with respect to the ground.

A further object of our invention is to provide a main frame structure particularly adapted to support the operating parts of a continuous mining machine, in which individual bogie frames for each continuous traction tread device have interengagement with projecting arm portions of the main frame for supporting the same in vertically spaced relation with respect to the ground.

Still another object of our invention is to provide a simplified and improved form of bogie frame structure of a Patented June 28, 1955 ice on the tread shoes are taken on the bottoms of the side frame members of the bogie frames.

Still another object of our invention is to provide a simplified and improved form of bogie frame structure adapted to have interengagement with the base plate of a kerf cutting machine, so arranged as to be readily assembled to the base plate of the machine and accurately located with respect thereto in a simpler manner than formerly.

Still another object of our invention is to provide a simplified and improved form of main frame structure wherein the base plate of the main frame has spaced projecting arms extending through registering slots in the bogie frames for the continuous traction tread devices, and supported thereby in vertically spaced relation with respect to the ground.

Still another object of our invention is to provide an integral main frame strutcure in which the bogie frames for the continuous traction tread devices have interengagement with the base plate for the main frame of the machine and form an integral part thereof.

These and other objects of our invention will appear from time to time as the following specification proceeds and with reference to the accompanying drawings where in:

Figure l is a fragmentary view in side elevation of a continuous mining machine, the operative parts of which are supported on a main frame structure constructed in accordance with our invention;

Figure 2 is a diagrammatic perspective view showing the interengaging connection of the base plate of the main frame with the guide or bogie frames for the continuous traction tread devices;

Figure 3 is an enlarged detail transverse sectional view taken through one of the bogie frames and illustrating certain details of the structure of one of the bogie frames and the connection therewith to the base plate of the main frame;

Figure 4 is an enlarged plan view of the main frame shown in Figure 2 with the top cover plates for the continuous traction tread devices removed, in order to show certain details of construction of the bogie frames not shown in Figure 2;

Figure 5 is the view in side elevation of the main frame shown in Figure 4;

Figure 6 is a fragmentary plan view of a main frame structure and illustrating a modified form in which our invention may be embodied;

Figure 7 is the view in side elevation of main frame structure shown in Figure 6 with certain parts broken away and certain other parts shown in section;

Figure 8 is a transverse sectional view taken through the main frame shown in Figures 6 and 7; and

Figure 9 is a plan view drawn to a reduced scale and showing still another modified form of main frame structure constructed in accordance with our invention.

In the embodiment of our invention illustrated in Figures 1 through 5 of the drawings, we have shown a main frame 10 for a continuous mining machine, having a cutting and dislodging element 11 projecting forwardly of the forward end of the machine and vertically movable to cut and dislodge coal from a solid mine face, when horizontally fed into the coal face and downwardly therealong from the mine roof to the mine floor, as is clearly shown and described in an application Serial No. 116,684, filed on September 20, 1949, by Frank Cartlidge and entitled Apparatus and System for the Continuous Cutting and Removing of Coal From the Solid and forms no part of our present invention so not herein shown or described in detail.

The main frame 10 of the mining machine is shown in Figures 2, 3 and 4 as including a base plate 12 having a guide frame 13 extending along each side thereof and forming support and guide means for laterally spaced continuous traction tread devices 14, and hereinafter referred to as bogie frames. The base plate 12 is shown as having a central bore 15 forming a bearing support for a turn table (not shown), supporting and laterally swinging the continuous cutting and dislodging element 11, and as having support plates 16, 16 extending therealong, inwardly of the lateral margins thereof, and forming a support means for the conveyor and the other operative parts of the machine.

The base plate 12 is also shown as having two longitudinally spaced laterally projecting tongues or arms 17 and 19 projecting from each side thereof, the tongues 17 projecting from the forward end portion of said base plate and the tongues 19 projecting from the rearward end portion of said base plate. The tongues 17 and 19 are shown as having interengagement with and as being supported on side plates 20 and 21 of the bogie frames 13. As herein shown each tongue 17 extends through a slot 22 in an associated side plate 20 and through a registering slot 23 in the parallel associated side plate 21, and is located in the proper relation with respect to said slots by means of a locating bolt 24. The locating bolt 24 is shown as extending through the tongue 17 and as being threaded within a longitudinally extending plate 25, spacing the plates 20 and 21 apart adjacent the lower ends thereof. The plate 25 is shown as extending between the tongues 17 and 19 and as having spaced guide rails 27, 27 depending therefrom and extending therealong and forming slide rails or shoes for the lower or supporting run of a continuous traction tread device 14.

In a like manner the tongue 19 extends through two aligned slots 30 and 31 formed in the side plates 20 and 21 respectively, and is located with respect to said side plates by means of a bolt or cap screw 32 threaded within the plate 25. A plate 28 is shown as spacing the side plates 20 and 21 apart above the tongues 17 and 19 and as being suitably apertured to afford access to the bolts 24 and 32.

The continuous traction tread devices 14, 14 may be of any Well known form and are trained about theusual idler sprockets (not shown) at the forward ends of the bogie frames 13, 13 and about drive sprockets (not shown) at the rearward end of said bogie frames. The drive sprockets may be driven by individual drive motors 33 at the rear end of the machine, through suitable gear reduction devices and chain and sprocket drives (not shown), and shown as being encased in housing structures indicated generally by reference character 34. Cover plates 35, 35 are shown as being secured to the tops of the side plates 20 and 21 adjacent their forward ends thereof to afford access to the continuous traction tread devices and the front direction changing idler sprockets therefor.

In assembling the main frame 10 the bogie frames 13, 13 are assembled as integral units with the cover plates therefor removed and are welded or otherwise secured to.- gethcr. The bogie frames 13, 13 may then be placed on the tongues 17 and 19 through the respective slots 22, 23 and 30, 31 in said bogie frames. The bogie frames may be moved inwardly along the tongues 17 and 19 untll the inner side plates 20, 20 thereof abut the outer side of the base plate 12. At this time the locating cap screws or bolts 24 and 32 may be threaded within the spacer plates 25, 25 and place a slight amount of tension thereon, it being understood that the spacer plates 25, 25 are first welded or otherwise secured to the side plates 20 and 21. When the bolts or cap screws 24 and 32 are in place and have been tightened, the tongues 17 and 19 may be welded to the side plates 20 and 21, preferably along the slots 22, 23 and 30, 31, it being understood that said tion of the respective tongues 17 and 19 therein, and that plates.

the tongues and base plate are supported on the bottoms of said slots.

It may be seen from the foregoing that a simple and improved form of main frame has been provided which is particularly adapted to support a heavy mining machine in which the bogie frames for the continuous traction tread devices are assembled as units and form supports for the base plate on spaced tongues having interengagement with the bogie frames and extending from the base plate, for welding to the bogie frames to form a simple, compact and rugged integral main frame structure.

In the form of our invention illustrated in Figures 6 through 8, we have shown a modified form of main frame a construction suitable for heavier duty than the main frame shown in Figures 1 through 5, in which the spacers for the side plates of the bogie frames support the shoes for the lower runs of the continuous traction tread devices, and in which the shoes have direct bearing engagement with the bottoms of the side plates.

In this form of our invention we have shown a base plate having two tongues 41, projecting laterally from opposite sides of one end thereof, and two longitudinally spaced laterally projecting tongues 42. We have also shown bogie frames 43, 43 mounted on the tongues 41 and 42 and extending along opposite sides of the base plate 40 and forming support structures for said base plate and guiding frame structures for continuous traction tread devices (not shown), for supporting the machine for movement along the ground.

Each bogie frame 43, is shown as including two parallel spaced longitudinally extending vertical side plates 44 and 45. The side plates 44 and 45 are shown as being connected together adjacent their upper ends by a spacer plate 46, extending therealong for substantially the entire length thereof, and welded or otherwise secured thereto. Said side plates are shown as being spaced apart adjacent their lower ends by through shouldered bolts or cap screws 47, extending through spaced lugs 48. The lugs 48 extend upwardly from aligned plates or shoes 49, abutting the bottoms of the side plates 44 and 45 and extending therealong for a greater portion of the length thereof. The plates 49 are shown as being in aligned relation with respect to each other and as having outer wearing strips 50, 50 secured to the bottom thereof and extending therealong, and inner guide strips or rails 51, 51 spaced inwardly of the wearing strips 50, 50.

The lugs 48 are apertured to receive the shouldered bolts or cap screws 47 and are shown as extending through the outer side plate 45 and the lugs 48 on an associated shoe 49 and as being threaded in the inner side plate 44, with the shoulders thereof abutting the insides of said side plates. The shoulders of the bolts 47, when engaging the side plate 44. are so spaced with regard to the heads of the bolts as to accurately space the side plates 44 and 45 apart in parallel relation with respect to each other. The lugs 48 may be spaced to cooperate with the bolts 47 in maintaining the side plates 44 and 45 in parallel relation with respect to each other, prior to the operation of welding or otherwise securing the bogie frames 43, 43 to the tongues 41 and 42 of the base plate 40. The bolts 47 also retain the shoes 49 for the continuous traction tread devices to the bottoms of the side plates 44 and 45, holding said shoes from longitudinal movement with respect to said side It should here be noted that since the shoes 49 engage the undersides of the side plates 44 and 45 and thus support the side plates on the ground through the medium of the associated continuous tread devices (not shown), that the bolts 47, are relieved from all vertical supporting stresses, and that the only stresses on said bolts are the horizontal stresses, holding the shoes 49 from movement along the side plates 44 and 45.

Support slots 55 and 56 extend through the respective side plates 44 and 45 adjacent one end thereof, to receive the tongues 41, and support the forward end portion of the main frame on said side plates. The side plates 44 and 45 likewise have longitudinally spaced slots 59 and 60 extending through the respective side plates 44 and 45, to receive and support the tongues 42 of the base plate 40.

The edge surfaces of the base plate 40 extending along the opposite sides thereof between the tongues 41 and 42, and in advance of the tongues 41 may be finished to accurately locate the bogie frames 43, 43 with respect to said side plate and tongues.

The base plate 40 may also have parallel support plates 61, extending therealong forming a support means for certain operative parts of the machine and connected together by a spacer plate 62. Gusset plates 63 may be connected between the plates 61 and 44 and form a bracing means therefor.

In the form of our invention shown inFigure 9, a base plate 64 is shown, which is similar to the base plates 10 and 40 and has projecting tongues 65 and 66 projecting laterally in opposite directions from the forward and rear end portions thereof for interengagement with parallel side plates 67 and 68 of bogie frames 69, as in the forms of my invention previously described.

The base plate 64 is also shown as having a central tank 70 for hydraulic fluid, and forming a source of fluid to operate various hydraulically operated devices of the machine. As shown in Figure 9, the tank 70 is an integral part of the main frame and forms a bracing structure therefor and has an end wall 71, a parallel intermediate wall 72 and an opposite end wall 73. The Walls 71, 72 and 73 are shown as extending between the bogie frames 6% and as forming a bracing structure therefor. The intermediate wall 72 is provided with a plurality of passageways 74 to pass fluid to a reduced volume portion 75 of said tank, closed by the end wall 73, extending across the rear end portion of said reduced volume portion of said tank and welded or otherwise secured at its opposite ends of the side plates 67 of the bogie frames 69.

In assembling the frame, assuming the bogie frames 69 are assembled with the plates 67 and 68 thereof spaced apart in parallel relation with respect to each other, said bogie frames may then be placed on the tongues 65 and 66 and 42 and moved inwardly therealong into engagement with finished edge surfaces of the base plate 64 and into engagement with the ends of the walls 71, 72 and 73 of the tank 70. The bogie frames 69 are then clamped or otherwise maintained into engagement with opposite edge surfaces of the base plate 64 and the ends of the walls "71, 72 and 73 of the tank 70, and are welded to the tongues 65 and 66 and the walls 71, 72 and 73, to form an integral and compact rigid frame structure, readily assembled, and forming a rigid support for the bogie frames 69, far simpler and more rigid than with the former frame constructions heretofore in use for continuous mining machines.

It will be understood that modifications and variations may be effected in the present invention without departing from the scope of the novel concepts thereof.

We claim as our invention:

1. In a mining machine of a type supported for transportation about a mine on laterally spaced continuous traction tread devices, a main frame comprising a base plate extending substantially the length of the machine. said base plate having spaced locating and support tongues extending laterally from each side thereof, bogie frames for the continuous traction tread devices including con-- nected parallel spaced side plates, spacer plates spacing said plates apart and securing the same together and disposed adjacent the lower ends thereof, said side plates having longitudinally spaced registering slots spaced above said spacer plates and extending through said side plates for registery with said support tongues, for supporting said base plate on said tongues, and locating means locating said bogie frames with respect to said base plate and tongues, comprising locating screws extending through said tongues and having threaded engagement with said spacer plates.

2. A bogie frame structure for a continuous traction tread device comprising a plurality of laterally spaced longitudinally extending side plates, means connected between said side plates adjacent the upper ends thereof,

for spacing said side plates in parallel spaced relation with respect to each other, other means spacing said side plates apart adjacent the lower ends thereof, comprising- 3. In a bogie frame structure for continuous traction tread device, a plurality of laterally spaced longitudinal extending side plates, means spacing said side plates apart adjacent the upper ends thereof and connected thereto, other means locating said side plates in parallel relation with respect to each other adjacent the lower ends thereof and forming a tread shoe for a continuous traction tread device comprising plates extending along the bottoms of said side plates and having bearing engagement with the bottoms thereof, and having apertured lugs extending upwardly therefrom along the insides of said side plates, and securing members connected between said side plates and having supporting connection with said lugs and locating said side plates in parallel spaced relation with respect to each other.

4. In a bogie frame structure, a plurality of longitudinal extending laterally spaced side plates, a spacer plate connecting said side plates together adjacent the upper ends thereof, and means for locating said side plates in parallel relation with respect to each other and forming detachable tread shoes for a continuous traction tread device comprising tread plates engaging the bottoms of said side plates for supporting the same, and also having apertured lugs projecting upwardly therefrom along the insides of said side plates, and shouldered securing members extending through one of said side plates and having securing engagement with the other of said side plate, the shoulders thereof abutting the insides of the outer of said side plates and locating said side plates in parallel spaced relation with respect to each other.

5. In a bogie frame structure for a continuous traction tread device, two laterally spaced longitudinal extending side plates, a spacer plate connecting said side plates together adjacent the upper ends thereof and spacing said side plates a fixed distance apart, a tread shoe for a traction device comprising a tread plate adapted to extend along the bottoms of said side plates and having apertured lugs extending upwardly therefrom along the insides of said side plates, means securing said tread shoe to said side plates and locating said side plates in parallel spaced. relation with respect to each other comprising securing and spacer members extending through said side plates and lugs and having abutting engagement with the outside of one of said side plates and the inside of the other of said side plates and being secured to the other of said side plates, and said side plates having longitudinally spaced lon itudinally extending aligned slots extending therethrough for interengagement with the base plate of the machine to support the same in vertically spaced relation with respect to the ground.

6. In a main frame structure particularly adapted for a traction device, two laterally spaced bogie frames each having two parallel longitudinal extending side plates and means connecting said side plates together and spacing the same apart in parallel relation with respect to each other, said side plates having aligned longitudinally extending and longitudinally spaced slots extending therethrough, and a base plate having spaced tongues project- 7 ing laterally therefrom for interengagement with said slots and securement to said side plates.

' 7. In a main frame structure particularly adapted for a traction device, two bogie frames, each forming a support and guide frame for a continuous traction tread device, each of said bogie frames having two laterally spaced longitudinally extending side plates having aligned longitudinally extending and longitudinally spaced registering slots extending therethrough, a base plate extending along the inner of said side plates and spacing said bogie frames apart and having longitudinally spaced laterally extending supporting and aligning tongues projecting laterally therefrom for interengagement with said slots, and means securing said tongues to said side plates along said slots.

8. In a mining machine having hydraulically controlled cutting and dislodging means, a main frame therefor comprising a base plate forming a support for the operative parts of the machine and having a tank extending thereacross and extending for a portion of the length thereof having a plurality of parallel transversely extending walls terminating at opposite sides of said base plate, a bogie frame for a continuous traction tread device extending along each side of said base plate, said bogie frames each having two longitudinally extending laterally spaced side plates having longitudinally spaced aligned registering apertures extending therethrough, and said base plate having longitudinally spaced laterally extending tongues for engagement with said apertures, means securing said tongues to said side plates and other means securing said transverse walls of said tank to said side plates at the ends thereof for maintaining the same in laterally spaced relation with respect to each other.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,720,553 Jett July 9, 1929 2,009,963 Matthaei July 30, 1935 2,107,382 Maddock Feb. 8, 1938 2,242,570 Dafoe May 20, 1941 2,339,731 Wheat Jan. 18, 1944 

